Two typhoons make landfall simultaneously in Japan for first time since 1951; record rain hits Tokai and Kanto
Typhoon Mekkhala and Typhoon Higos struck simultaneously on June 27, the first double-landfall in June since records began; 82,921 people were evacuated in Okinawa, 9 injured in Naha, and a record 250mm-per-hour downpour was recorded, with landslides breaking out in Nara
Add to a list
No lists yet.
Summary
Typhoon Mekkhala (No. 7) and Typhoon Higos (No. 8) made landfall simultaneously on the Japanese coast on June 27, the first time two typhoons have approached Japan at the same time in June since records began in 1951. Okinawa Prefecture reported 82,921 residents evacuated and 9 people injured in Naha; 27 municipalities lost power. A record 250mm-per-hour downpour was recorded in the Tokai region. Landslides struck multiple prefectures: the town of Seika in Kyoto issued a Level 5 Emergency Safety Order, the highest alert level, for 239 households; 15 homes in Ikoma, Nara, flooded above floor level after a river overflowed. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued emergency rainfall warnings across Tokai, Kinki, and Kanto, with Tokaido Shinkansen services suspended as a precaution. Typhoon No. 7 continued to disrupt weekend travel across Japan through the evening.
Why it matters
The 1951 precedent makes this a statistically rare compound event. The Tokai and Kanto regions host Japan's automotive and semiconductor manufacturing corridors; if 200-250mm of rain causes extended flooding, supply-chain disruption will reach South Korean and Taiwanese electronics output within days.